Pocket atomizer



W. l. NISSEN POCKET ATOMIZER Filed Dec. l5, 1948 mmm NVENTOR. VVRREN [.NnssEN.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POCKET ATOMIZER Warren I. Nissen, Newark, N. J., assigner to Ronson Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Applicatimneeemter 15, 194s, serialNo. 65,369V

(c1. a99-ss) 4 Claims. l

The invention relates to pocket atomizers for spraying perfume and the like and wherein, when the device is not in use, a manually operated pump plunger releasabiy locks in sealing position, a cap which overlies the orifices used in spraying; when the device is to be put in use, the pump plunger is manipulated to release the cap from sealing position, whereupon the cap swings open, the plunger being freed from engagement with the cap so that it may be manually reciprocated as needed to produce the sprays.

In one of its aspects the invention aims te pro vide a more eiiective releasable engagement between the pump plunger and cap for the above purposes, which will minimize leakage or premature delivery of the fluid through the spraying orifices, particularly when the pump plunger is being disconnected from the cap and before normal manual reciprocation of the plunger for spraying is begun. In another aspect the invention aims to provide a more eilicent and satisfactory spraying nozzle construction foi atomizers of the above type. Further objects and advantages oi. the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which, taken in conjuncconstructed to operate in accordance with the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are views similar to Fig. 1, but with certain parts cut away, and showing the pump plunger and cap in different relative .positions.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged central section taken through the nozzle member shown in Fig. l.

The invention isA illustrated as applied to an atomizer having a container I which will usually be of general oblong cross section, and provided with a chamber 2 for containing the perfume or similar liquid to be sprayed, and a pump cylinder 3 which is located at one side of the chamber 2. A cap member 5 is mounted above the top wall 4 of the container, this cap being shown as pivotallyl carried byl a. spindle 6y which is supported betweeen ears 'I extending upwardly from the top Wall 4. The cap 5 is urged toward open position by a suitable spring 8. In its closed position the' cap seals the liquid used in spraying, the sealing i Within the cylinder 3 is reciprocably mounted a pump plunger 9 which need not be described in detail save for the features hereinafter specifically mentioned, it being understood that as the .plunger 9 is manually reciprocated, it pumps a stream of air through a nozzle construction to deliver atomized liquid when'the device is in use. rlhe pump plunger 9 is urged toward the position shown in Fig. 2 by spring it which is light enough to permit the plunger to be manually reciprocated with a moderate amount of manual pressure.

The knob or ingerpece Il through which the manual pressure is applied to plunger 9 is not rigidly attached to the latter, but a spring I2 is interposed between these parts, this spring I2 being relatively stiffer than the spring I0. In the particular form oi the invention which is illustrated, the iingerpiece il is screwed on to the upper end of an auxiliary plunger I3 which nt slidably in a threaded collar I4 at the upper end of plunger 9, the head i5 at the lower end of plunger I3 bearing against the spring I2. During normal pumping action of plunger Si by periodic depression of the ngerpiece II, spring li. is very little deflected, in other Words most of the expansion and contraction takes place in spring ID. However, when the iingerpiece II is to be nterengaged with cap 5 to lock the latter releasably in closedv position, the pump plunger 9 is first depressed to the full limit of its inward stroke, as shown in Fig. 3, then the cap 5 is manually depressed to the position shown in Fig. 1 so that a lip I6 thereon overhangs the annular flange I'I on iingerpiece l I, and then the manual pressure on ngerpiece l I is released, whereupon the iingerpiece II and associated .parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1. When the plunger 9 is depressed to the full limit of its inward stroke, and manual pressure is thereafter continued, the spring I2 is more fully compressed, and this extra compression is imparted before iingerpiece il moves down far enough to permit the lip i5. to clear the iingerpiece when cap 5 is being moved from the open position shown in Fig. 3` to the closed position shown in Fig. 1. Then when manual pressure on ngerpiece II is relieved, so that the fingerpiece moves up to the cap engaging position shown in Fig. l, the extra energy ,stored in spring I2 as above described, presses the cap. much more tightly intosealing position ithan could be done by spring it, unless the latter were made stilTe-r than would be desirable for normal pumping action.

When the iingerpiece Il is depressed from the can sealing position shown in- 1 to the cap releasingy position shown in Fig. 3, no pumpng action of the plungerv 9 takes place since the plunger is already depressed to the full limit of its. inward pumping stroke. Thus the premature delivery of atomized liquid at a stage when it is not wanted, is avoided. In the illustrated form of the invention the threaded collar I4 seats against a stationary threaded collar I8 at the upper end of cylinder 3' to limit the inward travel of plunger 9, and at all times when the ngerpiece is engaged with or being freed from cap 5, the plunger 9 remains substantially stationary at the inward limit of its stroke.

The atomizer is provided with a tube I9 leading from the cylinder 3 to a tting 20 (Fig. 1) fixed to the top wall 4 of chamber I, to deliver air under pressure for atomization. A further tube 2| leads from a point beneath the liquid level in chamber 2 to the fitting 20, and preferably a nozzle construction is employed wherein the air under pressure as delivered from chamber 3 through tube I9, ilows in an annular column surrounding tube 2l. In the illustrated form of the invention, the tube 2l delivers into a capillary tube 22, which fits tightly but removably into the fitting 2B, and the tube l delivers into an annular chamber 23 in the tting 20, which chamber surrounds the tube 22. A threaded nozzle tip 24 is positioned at the mouth of chamber 23 and it will be noted that the tube 22 projects through and outwardly beyond the mouth of the nozzle tip 24; thus the annular stream of air under pressure which passes through the mouth of nozzle tip 24 when the above described pump is actuated, aspirates and atomizes the liquid which passes upwardly through tube 22. The tting 2) also carries a vent pipe 25 (Fig. l) which maintains atmospheric pressure in chamber 2 when the device is in use. When the cap is in closed position, a sealing block 26 of somewhat elastic material, is pressed against the outer end of tube 22, leaving the mouth of nozzle tip 24 unsealed; thus the possibility is eliminated of liquid being dravf'n from tube 22 into nozzle tip 24 or tube I9, While cap 5 is closed, and the pump cannot draw back liquid into tube I9 since the mouth of nozzle tip 24 is at all times vented to the air. The above described nozzle construction is advantageous both with and in the absence of the special features of the pump as above described. Heretofore it has been customary to provide atomizers of the above described character with separate nozzles delivering exteriorly of the liquid chamber and which were separately sealed. It is found that the preferred type of nozzle construction, as above described, operates more satisfactorily to atomize heavy perfumes without clogging, and also there is one less orifice to seal, and the members 22 and 2d are readily removable for cleaning or adjustment if necessary. The chamber 2 may be relled with liquid by removing the threaded plug 2l.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial Number '712,003 led November 23, 1946, entitled Pocket Atomizer, now abandoned.

While the invention has been disclosed as carried out by an atomizer of the specic construction above described, it should be understood that changes may be made therein without departing Afrom the invention in its broader aspects, within the scope of the appended claims.

l. claim:

l. An atomizer of the character described, including a chamber for liquid to be atomized, an air pumping cylinder disposed adjacent said chamber, a nozzle mechanism connected respectively to said chamber and pumping cylinder, a cap member mounted to move between positions wherein it respectively covers and exposes said nozzle mechanism, a pump plunger working in said cylinder, a spring urging said plunger toward the outer limit of its stroke, an operating ngerpiece for said plunger, said ngerpiece having a part movable therewith which is engageable with said cap to hold the latter in closed position when the plunger is at the inner end of its stroke, and spring means acting between said nngerpiece and plunger to urge said ngerpiece toward cap engaging position.

2. An atomizer of the character described including a container having a chamber for liquid to be atomized, a pumping cylinder adjacent said chamber, a nozzle mechanism connected to said chamber and cylinder, a cap movable between positions wherein it respectively covers and exposes said nozzle mechanism, a pump plunger working within said cylinder, a spring urging said plunger toward the outer limit of its stroke, a manual operating member for said plunger having means engageable with said cap to hold the latter in nozzle covering position, and spring means interposed between said man-cal operating member and said plunger, said last mentioned spring means yieldably urging said operating member into engagement with said cap when the latter is in nozzle covering position.

3. An atomizer of the character described, including a container having a chamber therein for liquid to be atomized, a pumping cylinder adjacent said chamber, a pump plunger working in said cylinder, a spring urging said plunger toward the outer limit of its stroke, a ngerpiece telescopically mounted upon said plunger, and a spring interposed between said ngerpiece and plunger, a nozzle mechanism carried by said container, a cap pivotally mounted upon said container to move between positions wherein it respectively covers and exposes said nozzle mechanism, said ngerpiece having a shoulder movable therewith which is positioned to Dress said cap toward its nozzle covering position when said plunger is at the inner end of its stroke.

4. An atomizer of the character described including a container having a chamber therein for liquid to be atomized, a pumping cylinder adjacent said chamber, said container having mounted therein an air supply conduit leading from said cylinder and a liquid supply conduit leading from said chamber, a nozzle member having its discharge passageway surrounding said liouid supply conduit, said air supply conduit delivering into said nozzle member and said liquid supply conduit having its outer end exposed at the mouth of said nozzle member, a cap member mounted on said container and means mounting vsaid cap member for movement between positions wherein it respectively seals and exposes the outer end of said liquid supply conduit whereby the passage of liquid from said liquid supply conduit into said air supply conduit is prevented when said cap `is closed.

WARREN I. NISSEN.

REFERENCES CITED "The following references are of record fin-tllfe le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

